Scarred
by Nychothomas
Summary: We all know Scar as the lion who murdered his way onto the throne, but what made him into the bitter, resentful and oh so brilliant villain he was in the original movie. You might not want to know the answer. This story is based on one of Shakespeare's lesser known tragedies.
1. A generation ago

Author's notes: Good day all, it's been a while since I have written so I thought what brilliant story has left us with unanswered questions. And it hit me that Scar's story was never officially told. The Lion Guard did not give me satisfying answers, in fact I find it excessively hard to harmonise the show with the movies, so while I might take some elements from the Lion Guard as well as other sources, please do not expect this story to agree with anything but the first two movies. (The third movie is completely irrelevant to this story). This story will be a two-parter, and as the movies both parts will be based on a Shakespeare tragedy. Part 1 will focus on how Scar's youth turned him into the lion that decided to kill his brother and nephew, while part two will focus on his reign. I hope you'll enjoy it!

The first chapter is a bit of historical introduction rather than a prologue. In fact the next chapter is supposed to be the prologue, even though it actually has become quite a long chapter. But you'll have to wait for it. For now, enjoy this chapter, and please leave a review!

 **A generation ago**

The combination of particularly long and hard dry seasons and below-average wet seasons the last few years had changed the pridelands beyond recognition. Grass had become an unusual sight, and water had become a rare commodity, especially now that the dry season was nearing its end. King Mohatu sighed, he had managed to stabilise the herbivore population and at last a decent rainy season appeared to be at hand. But it had not been a sigh of relief, far from it. Cub mortality had been enormous in the past few years and his pride had never been so small. From what he heard the woodland pride had now outgrown his, or rather his had outshrunk the woodland pride, and considering their smaller territory and their ruthless king Mkali it was only a matter of time before the herds started growing again and Mkali's troops would be strong enough to try and take over pride rock. He had to act now.

"Uru! Could you come here for a while lass?"

From the shadows, a stunning young lioness appeared. Her hair was just dark, just as her father's, but her eyes were a stunning sapphire blue. "Yes father"

"Lass, have I ever told you how different ruling is from what the animals think it is"

He had, but truth be told, even if he hadn't, she would have known, for she was born in the great drought and had never known anything else. She knew what it meant to rule, and she knew how hard it was. "You mean how it is actually us who serve them, rather than the other way around", she replied.

"Exactly", Mohatu was reluctant to continue, but he knew he had no other choice, "in the end it is difficult for us to do what we would like, as the responsibility over an entire kingdom will always outweigh our personal wishes." He sighed again. "Unfortunately the day has come to ask you to set aside some of your desires and serve your subjects."

"What do you mean, father?" The way she asked her father could almost create the illusion that she didn't know, but she knew all too well. She was however full of doubt, as was to be expected in a situation like this. What would it be like? Would she still be her own lion?"

"You know what I mean, child", Mohatu replied with a great deal of uncertainty, "Will you join me to the border with the woodlands?"

"I will gladly make the sacrifice for our homeland, father", Uru replied firmly. The crown princess had been trained well, for not even the king realised the doubts that filled her head.

Though clouds had started to become more and more common, the first drop of rain was yet to fall. Even grass had become rare. Uru could not help but think how much more of this drought the land could take, even if it was her own future that preoccupied her at this moment. As they kept walking the density of trees started to increase, and they stopped.

"We shouldn't enter their land without their consent", Mohatu said and let out a roar. "Mkali is fair, but ruthless. Let's wait for them to come to us."

They did not have to wait long. After all a foreign lion, especially a male, near your turf always gets the highest priority and soon they found themselves surrounded by a group of yellow and beige lionesses. A big lion entered the circle, though he looked fairly skinny, it was obvious he used to be massive, and despite his slightly underfed look, not even Mohatu would enter a fight with him. His golden fur, even if it lost its shine contrasted wonderfully with his manes that were as black as volcanic ash. A pair of venomous green eyes stared right at the pridelands' king. "Well, well", the pack leader growled, "if it isn't Mohatu of the pridelands, and who might this lovely creature be, surely a princess."

"A crown princess actually", Mohatu replied, "I'd like you to meet my daughter Uru, Mkali"

"Crown princess? And here I was thinking this would be some kind of boring meeting again" Mkali let out an amused laugh, "at ease, ladies, these are our honoured guests. Prepare the den for a royal meeting, and make sure Ahadi is there. Follow me Mohatu, Princess!"

Uru didn't feel completely at ease, as Mkali did have a reputation to be ruthless. Nevertheless, her father always assured her that he was honourable. "Your lands are very different from the pridelands, your majesty", she shyly opened the conversation.

"They most certainly are, princess", Mkali replied, "game in the woodlands is a lot smaller than in the pridelands, though on the bright side, they do have better resistance against drought."

"Your pride must have done relatively well these last few years then?"

"I guess we did shrink less than the other prides, but even we have suffered", the great lion who had been nothing short of majestic until now, had to take a breath. He could only utter the following reluctantly though still with a degree of inner strength most animals could only dream of, "Among the losses was my beloved queen."

"I'm sorry to hear that", Uru empathically replied.

"You see your father is the king of diplomacy, and I really envy him for that skill, but sometimes you have to be resolute!", Mkali's tone turned more melancholic, "if only I'd been more resolute back then."

"Perhaps our successors will combine the best of both of us", Mohatu interrupted as he noticed the conversation was turning awkward.

"I'm sure they will", the woodlands' king regained his composure as the party finally reached his lair, "speaking of which, let me make sure Ahadi is ready for the meeting. Wait here for us, we shouldn't be long." With this Mkali left his guests alone with his hunting party, as he disappeared into the cave.

"Daddy", Uru reluctantly asked, "What happened to the queen?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but Mkali's words kept resonating in her head.

"It's not a pretty story, princess, nor do I know all the details, are you sure you want to hear it?", the visiting king asked.

Uru nodded: "if we are to understand our allies, we need to know what drives them"

"Very well, her name was Sarabi if I'm not mistaking, during the previous dry season she came across a clan of hyenas in the woodlands, and decided to chase them off. It didn't go as she planned."

Uru looked in shock: "They killed her? I thought hyenas never faced adult lions, even if it's only one."

"It is true that they prefer running away alive and unharmed, but there is one case where they will face any foe, even lions. This clan of hyenas must have had cubs. I wish I could say it would have been over quickly but hyenas lack the strength to subdue a lion... Well you know how hyenas kill." Mohatu could only imagine how gruesome the site must have been, and he had no desire painting that image in his daughter's head.

Uru was obviously taken aback, but she couldn't believe this was all of the story, especially after what Mkali had said about being resolute. "What happened to the hyenas?"

"I couldn't tell you for sure. All I know is that…"

"Hyenas have never been sighted in the woodlands since", Mkali's return startled them, and Uru downed her posture in an apologetic way. "Don't worry, my dear", the inviting king continued, "you were bound to find out eventually, and perhaps it's better to find out from someone who doesn't carry the emotional ballast from the event."

The princess relaxed. Soon she noticed the presence of another lion, he looked almost exactly like Mkali must have looked a few years ago. He had the same golden fur and a black mane, that despite only starting to grow already looked magnificent. His eyes were deep brown, and the look on his face could make any lion feel at ease, but she saw his presence could just as easily terrify them. Nevertheless it couldn't be denied that he was truly handsome. "I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance your majesty, princess", the young lion introduced himself, "My name is Ahadi, crown prince of the Woodlands, I see the stories about your beauty don't do you justice at all."

Uru chuckled. This lion did indeed have a silver tongue, but she would not be swayed that easily. "I'm curious", she replied in a flirtatious tone, "which stories are you referring to?"

"Well, my fair lady", he replied as Uru rolled her eyes at the obvious exaggeration, "the stories I made up once my father told me the crown princess of the pridelands was here, and that I should be at my best behaviour if I were to have a chance of pleasing you."

The reply made the brown lioness laugh. "Honest, I like that."

"It's great to see you two get along", Mkali interrupted, "now let's get to business, to what do we owe this pleasure, Mohatu."

"I would like to propose a guaranteed peace treaty between our two prides"

"I'm all ears"

"As you know, my daughter Uru is not yet betrothed, which means I don't have a successor yet. I would like to offer Ahadi both, so after our deaths he will rule the Pridelands and the Woodlands as one with my daughter as his queen."

Ahadi already started wandering off in dreams. He would be king of the Pridelands, the largest lion turf he knew off and the beautiful Uru would be his queen, how lucky could he get in one day. His father was however more reserved, or perhaps realistic. "As much as my son would like it", Mkali replied, "where does this leave my pride?"

"At this moment the pridelands need some time to recuperate from the massive drought we just suffered. We would take in Ahadi, if that is okay with you, to teach him about the Pridelands he will once rule, but the balance is too delicate at the time to allow another pride in."

"So what exactly is our benefit? My son would enjoy a life of plenty in the pridelands, once the wet season starts, but here in the Woodlands very little will change, I do have a pride to think about."

"You raise a valid point, Mkali", Mohatu replied as he thought of a solution, "I will grant your pride hunting access in the area between the woodlands and the Mbao river once per moon."

"Make it twice and we have a deal"

Mohatu thought it over. "Fine, you will get hunting access during full moon and new moon. You are allowed to take one animal only. If you do not succeed, that's on you."

A faint smile appeared on Mkali's snout. "Agreed! My shaman lioness can officialise the betrothal, and afterwards Ahadi will join you to the Pridelands. Teach him everything you know and he might indeed turn out to combine the best in both of us."

And thus it happened, a peace treaty between two great prides, a peace that withheld until the prides were eventually merged five lush years later.


	2. The invasion

Author's notes: this is where te actual story starts. It was supposed to be a prologue, but it had become so large that we might actually consider it a full chapter. My writing style is still a bit wooden, I guess it's what happens when you don't write for 10 years. Reviews are as usual much appreciated.

 **The invasion**

Pride rock majestically stood over the green savanna. The years had been plentiful and all animals in the pridelands were thriving. That is to say, all except the spotted hyenas. King Ahadi could never forget how it had been hyenas who killed his mother, and the decision to drive out those filthy creatures into the barren outlands to compensate for the higher amount of lions was easily made. Even so they had been wandering along the borders this past year, trying to get their paws on whatever they could get, but Ahadi decided to condone it as there hadn't been any incidents and prey appeared to be on the rise nevertheless. Nobody really knew if it was Mohatu's lessons in diplomacy or the influence of Uru, that made him tolerate the hyenas so close to their lands, and even entering their lands at night, but thus far it didn't seem to have been a bad decision. Ahadi had other worries though, his pride was growing, very soon even his own heir would be born, and he wondered if there territory would be big enough to sustain them. On top of that rogue lions were becoming an increasingly common sight in the Woodlands. The pride didn't actually go to the king's birth land a lot anymore, and hyenas hadn't dared going back there since Mkali had them purged. It had become the hunting ground of one or two leopards, and being solitary they would avoid a confrontation with a lion at all cost, no matter how young, inexperienced and alone they might have been. Perhaps he would have to expand beyond the woodlands for a double win, enough prey to support the predator populace in the pride lands and have borders that can be easily controlled.

"Good morning, sire", a female voice greeted him from above, "How is the queen if I might ask?.

"Zuzu", the king greeted the hornbill as she landed in front of him, "She'll be due soon and won't be joining the hunts this moon, but she seems very healthy. What news have you got for me?"

"Excellent news sire, as for the morning report: crocodiles have started their retreat for the dry season without major incidents, which is more than can be said about two families of baboons that ran into each other, and started a rather loud and messy fight."

Nothing out of the ordinary there, though those baboons would drive him crazy. It made Ahadi wonder why Mohatu employed a baboon for a shaman and teacher, a mjuzi as he called them. His father had always relied on an old and wise lioness, whether she had any real mystical powers was beyond him, but she sure made it look like she had. Unfortunately she had been barren, and never passed on her knowledge to another. Though in the end he did like Rafiki, he had a sense of humour that helped them both get through Hekima's lessons, and his wisdom was undeniable. So when the old baboon retired it only made sense to give his position to Rafiki, as no one would teach his heir better than he would. He just wished the new mjuzi wouldn't wander off and disappear so often. "Those baboons will be the death of me", he replied his majordomo, "anything else?"

"Well, word has it several new predators have been spotted in the Woodlands. A family of Jackals, side-striped if my source is correct, and two rather peculiar hyenas."

This caught Ahadi's attention. The jackals normally wouldn't leave the woodlands, and tend to avoid confrontations, but hyenas were a different story entirely. Something was off though, why were there only two, and what did Zuzu mean with peculiar? Could they be aardwolves? They're similar to hyenas but completely harmless, and they generally live in pairs. "Describe these hyenas, will you?" the king asked.

"They appear to be smaller than your usual hyena, and they have stripes, they also seem to prefer finishing leftovers from the leopards over hunting"

"Odd", Ahadi thought. They must have been striped hyenas, he had never actually seen one, but his father always told him not to bother with them. They were nowhere near as dangerous as spotted hyenas, and generally only came out at night to eat what other predators hadn't finished. But they wouldn't suddenly change turf without a reason. The dry season was just starting so that couldn't be it, and the only other reason would be aggressive expansion from larger predators.

"Oh, there comes my husband, sire, I asked him to keep an eye out on the woodlands"

"Good morning, your majesty, hello love. I can honestly say I have never seen any hyena like these in our kingdom. I mean they could bloody well hunt some warthogs, but they just keep jolly waiting near a leopard's tree hoping some meat will fall out. My, if every hyena were like that, we'd never have any problem in the pridelands."

Ahadi sighed. The last thing he needed was hornbill chatter, and these banana beaks really did love to chat. Luckily Zuzu was serious enough to discern important information, from random gossip, the same could not be said from her husband Filimbi though.

"Err, darling", Zuzu interrupted, "What's the actual reason you came here?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Sorry about that, it's just that … these hyenas are so fascinating, I could..." Ahadi's growl startled the majordomo's husband and even if looks couldn't kill, Filimbi was sure his heart skipped a beat when he saw his king's glare. "Well err… a dog just entered the woodlands." Ahadi's look immediately changed to shock. "Only one, which I found odd, as painted hunting dogs always move in packs, but I guess after seeing those hy…"

"It's a scout!", Ahadi interrupted, "something is driving these predators out of their territory, and whatever it is, it can't be good. You two, fly across the woodlands and find out what is causing this, I will prepare the lionesses." He ran to pride rock. The sighting of a dog was never a good sign. Lions always saw it as a bad omen and with very good reason. Not because of the animal itself: it would probably flee once it realised it was in lion territory. But because there are only two animals capable of driving a pack of painted hunting dogs out of their territory. This meant that either spotted hyenas, or worse, another pride of lions, were expanding towards the pridelands.

Ahadi rounded up the lionesses as fast as he could, all but one. Uru's pregnancy didn't allow her to join, though she immediately realised the importance when her husband barely took the time to check in on her. In no time the pride was rushing towards the woodlands. "Ignore the leopard", Ahadi yelled, "if you find the dog or some weird hyenas, don't kill them, we need information." He highly doubted they would be able to talk to either of them, especially since they weren't exactly being stealthy, and no part of the pridelands offered as many hiding places as the woodlands. The hyenas would have fled underground by now, and he doubted the dog was still on their territory. He could only hope Zuzu was more successful. "Steady!", he ordered as they reached the outer edge of the woodlands.

In the distance the silhouette of a running dog shrank away. "You want us to go after him?" one of the lionesses asked.

"No, spare your energy", Ahadi replied, "he's faster than us and has more stamina. Besides I have the horrible feeling we'll need all our strength." He lay down in the shade and waited for his majordomo to appear.

"Sire, sire!", two hours had passed until Ahadi heard his majordomo's voice. Exhausted she landed in front of him. "Lions, there's a pride of lions heading this way!"

It's as he had feared, lion's trying to conquer more territory. "How big is the pride?", Ahadi enquired.

"An alpha, a subadult male, two seven or eight moon old cubs and five lionesses, sire", Zuzu replied.

"A small pride, this will likely be a challenge", Ahadi said knowing full well this pride wouldn't stand a chance in a full battle, "Nevertheless we must stay put, they might try something underhand. How far are they, Zuzu?"

"At this speed they will arrive this night, sire?"

 _At night during a new moon, in the woodlands_ , Ahadi thought, _they really are trying to get every advantage they can get, but they forget one thing, I was born and raised in these lands!_ "We'll be ready for them!" the king stated as he organised their defence.

The sky coloured orange as the sun started to set. Just out of sight of the woodlands a small pride of lions rested. In the middle of all sat Kushinda. "Rest my pride!", he orated, "for tonight is a big night. Queen Uchawi has prophesied that control of the Pridelands will come to us on a new moon under a star so bright you can see it during the day. Will tonight be the night?!" The entire pride roared in agreement. "Let's wait for complete darkness to fall... Swala!", he called one of the lionesses, "once the night is so black the birds can't see us, you'll move closer, but make sure no one can see you. Tell us if they know we're coming, and all the details you can make out. Get ready!" The lioness nodded.

The new moon had made the night particularly dark, only Jupiter created an odd source of light. Kushinda couldn't think of a better moment to raise an attack, and the presence of the planet, or big star as he called it, had to be a sign, as sign for their success. He could already feel walking onto pride rock greeted by all the animals. Tonight he would make history.

"Prophecies are tricky things, my love", Uchawi approached her husband making sure no one could hear her, "they always come true, but it might not be the way you expect them to come true."

"If me and my oldest son would attack during a new moon under a star you could see in daylight, we would control the pridelands, that is what you said", Kushinda replied.

"What I said was that control over the pridelands would end up in the attackers' family"

"So we should attack before they do!", the king snorted.

"I'm just telling you to be careful my love", the queen replied calmly.

"It'll be fine, my queen, you needn't worry so much", he replied as he headed towards his son, "Are you ready for the battle, Thirika?"

"I am, dad!", his eldest son replied self-assured.

"So what's your plan?"

"Me and the lionesses will hide downwind when you challenge the king. In the heat of the duel, when everyone is too focused to know what's going on, we'll join in and take down the king. Unfortunately we are upwind, so we'll have to find a way to get behind them without them noticing."

"Swala should come back with that information soon enough."

"Dad, I would suggest mom and Kiara stay with you, especially Kiara is in no condition to fight right now."

"I agree, she is expecting my bastard after all, and we should never risk the lives of the queen and the young princes. On top of that it might look suspicious if I arrive alone."

"Your majesty!", Swala interrupted

"Ah Swala, you're back. What can you tell us?" Kushinda asked.

"Well", the scout replied, "the king is expecting us, he's there with six lionesses."

"Only six? Surely that can't be all. I know the pridelands suffered dearly from the drought six years ago, but they must have recovered by now."

"I've gone as close as I could your highness, and I couldn't find a sign of any other lionesses."

"And is there a way around them?" Thirika asked.

"There is, my prince, but we'll have to be very careful.", Swala replied.

"Very well", Kushinda intervened, "Round up the lionesses and prepare your ambush, we'll strike once that big star is above them."

Ahadi had caught the scent of the other pride for quite a while now, but they didn't seem to be moving. What were they waiting for? Had they realised his pride was there and decided not to expand any further. But why stay where they were? Perhaps they were waiting for a better moment. Either way, they were dangerously close to the pridelands, so if they weren't gone by tomorrow, he'd have to find another way to get rid of them. The area wasn't big enough for another pride. Perhaps this pride had solved his dilemma for him, either they attacked and he could expand his territory if he won, or they would not and he would have no choice but to chase them away and add the area to his territory. While pondering he noticed the scent was getting stronger, they were on the move. "Keep your eyes open, ladies", he called the lionesses attention, "They're coming, be prepared!"

"I can see something, sire", a lioness said, "An alpha male, two females and… two half-grown cubs, I think."

"Nothing else?" Ahadi asked.

"Not that I can see, no"

"Hmmm", the king wondered, "Either Zuzu can't count, or he didn't come complete. Stick to the plan, but be prepared for anything!"

The silhouettes became larger and soon a large male, probably the same size as Ahadi could clearly be discerned. His complexion was slightly lighter than that of the king of Pride Rock, and his mane must have been reddish brown. One female had a similar colour than the male and looked like she could be pregnant, while the other was so pale she looked almost white. The two cubs followed the pale lioness, who Ahadi assumed was their mother. They looked a lot more like the male though, probably his genes were stronger than hers. "Your majesty", the male introduced himself, "I, Kushinda, have come here to relieve you of your duty over the Pridelands?"

"You appear to be awfully sure of yourself", Ahadi replied, "What makes you so sure you won't meet your demise?"

"It has been predicted", Kushinda replied, "if we strike tonight, the attacker's family will control the pridelands."

"Except that you're not attacking, you're just talking", Ahadi said as he lunged at his challenger.

Kushinda was caught by surprise, and Ahadi quickly gained the upper hand. Even Thirika who had been hiding behind them had been taken aback by Ahadi's sudden attack. So much that it had taken him a while to give the order to assist their king. It was however to no avail. Unbeknownst to them six Prideland lionesses had had their eyes on them for quite some time and when the three lionesses were about to jump out to help their king, they didn't stand a chance. Only Thirika managed to fight his way through, while Kushinda was fighting for his life. He caught glimpses of the ruckus and when Ahadi pinned him down biting his jugular, he noticed only his son had appeared and was fighting his way through the lionesses who had been hidden all along. Their plan had failed, and whether it would be his family that would control the pridelands, or he lost that chance when he had not attacked first was something he would never know as life drained out of him.

Ahadi loosened his grip as his challenger died, while he flipped his attention to the subadult male that was being surrounded by his six hidden lionesses, while the other six made sure the lionesses and cubs that came with his challenger could not move away. Three lionesses and an alpha male had died in a plot that could only be described as a fiasco, a success he knew he owed to the combined teachings of both his father and his father-in-law. "Your attempts are futile", Ahadi roared at the fallen prince, "what you're doing has only one possible outcome and you know it."

"My family will control the pridelands, your majesty, my father may not have attacked you but I have and I will again"

"Suit yourself"

Ahadi prepared to strike, when the scream of the pale lioness interrupted: "No! Have mercy, this is just a confused boy who misunderstood my prophecy. Show the grandness for which the king of the Pridelands is known. Spare my son his life and I can serve you with my gift."

"Your gift, as you call it, does not appear to have served your king very well", Ahadi replied keeping his eye on Thirika the whole time.

"As you know, noble king, prophecies are ambiguous. One needs to interpret them with wisdom, something my king sadly lacked."

"You'd better thank your mother, cub, I'll give you five heartbeats to leave our Pridelands, take it or I'll finish you on the spot." Ahadi said staring the subadult in the eye coldly.

Thirika turned around, but he wouldn't run. First heartbeat. _You killed my father._ Second heartbeat. _Your time has ended._ Third heartbeat. _And ours has come._ Fourth heartbeat. He immediately turned around and lunged at Ahadi, who with one blow to the head ended his life. His mother's screams were deafening as his body fell on his father's. Uchawi bolted to her fallen family and put her paws in their mixing blood trying to make sense of what it was saying her.

"Take these lionesses to pride rock", Ahadi ordered, "I'll make sure the cubs don't suffer."

"I wouldn't do that", Uchawi interrupted.

"I'm sorry, madam, but a sacrifice is required. We cannot spend energy on cubs, especially male ones, that aren't mine, be happy that we are still considering taking you in."

"You don't understand, Ahadi, the death of my boys will mark the beginning of an unavoidable future. Your legacy will be that of a divided pridelands", Uchawi said with a mystic voice that even gave the king the creeps, so much in fact that he was completely at odds on what to do. What was he to do? Under his rule the pridelands had become bigger and more majestic than ever before, he wouldn't want to throw it all away over the death of a few cubs. Could it possibly be true? Could she be a real oracle? Time would tell, but if she was she could be very useful to him.

The king turned around and slowly walked towards the cubs. "Run!", he said, "as fast as you can. If you can make it across the first river by dawn, you're safe from us."

The cubs trembled, they had never left their mother before, and who was to say to lion that killed their father and their brother was to keep his word. "Do it!", Uchawi yelled at them, "live so we can be together again one day" The cubs started to run out of the pridelands towards the river they had crossed the previous day. They ran as if their life depended on it, because it definitely did.

"Tomorrow morning I will mark my new territory up until that river, the rest of your territory is for grabs by other predators. There's still a pack of dogs nearby if I remember correctly. If I find your cubs within our borders, I will not have mercy!"

"You are truly noble, my king", Uchawi replied bitterly.

Upon returning to pride rock, Ahadi immediately went to see his queen. "Uru, my love, how are you doing?"

"You were away for so long, what happened?", the queen replied.

"An invading pride attacked us, unfortunately for them they didn't plan very well, and our entire pride is safe."

"I'm glad to hear that, what happened to them?"

"Unfortunately violence could not be avoided, all died except for two lionesses which I brought here, and two half-grown cubs that I banished."

"You just banished them, I really must be having a softening effect on you.", Uru said as she licked him, "What about the lionesses?"

"Haha yes, I guess you do", he said while caressing her, "One lioness is an oracle and the other is pregnant, I'm not sure what to do about that though."

"Let her finish her pregnancy. The crown prince might need a betrothed and perhaps so might his brother", Uru smiled.

"What?", Ahadi looked baffled.

"Rafiki came while you were away. He thinks I will give birth to two males", Uru couldn't hide her blush.

"That's wonderful", he exclaimed as he lay down next to his queen.

"Uh-uh, not yet, I want to meet my possible future daughter-in-law's mother"

"I'll send for her", he replied as he stood up and headed for the cave's exit. "Bring me Kiara!"

The captive lioness entered the cave head down "You sent for me your majesty"

"Yes my dear, I have decided that you can keep your cubs. You will call your strongest female Sarabi, after my mother, and she will be betrothed to the crown prince. Other female cubs will be welcomed in the pride. Males will be last in line in the food order. Now enter, the queen wants to get to know you." Kiara's posture immediately changed as she clumsily thanked Ahadi and went to meet Uru. "I'll leave you two lionesses alone", Ahadi said realising that the prophecy of the attacker's family ruling the pridelands would indeed come true.


	3. Tragedy strikes

**Author's notes: So sorry for the delay, haven't had much time lately. This chapter might not be suitable for the weak of heart, but enjoy none the less, and leave a review**

Rafiki had been right, Uru did indeed give birth to two males although labour hadn't been easy. One cub came out almost immediately, his fur was golden like his father's, and his built was strong and healthy. Ahadi couldn't be more pleased with an heir so worthy and so much like him, though according to Rafiki his mane would be more like Mohatu's. It was only fitting, thought the king, that the crown prince would combine the traits of two great kings before him. It was then that things got difficult though, the second cub wouldn't come out, and great pain started to grow within Uru. On the second day the pain had become so unbearable that Rafiki feared for her life if the second cub wouldn't come out soon, but the queen was strong she withstood all the pain while suckling Mufasa as they had called the crown prince. And her strength was rewarded, as the second cub felt its first beam of sunlight. This cub looked a lot more like his mother, he had the same reddish brown fur and the same face as her, even though his eyes were green. His mother loved him endlessly despite all the pain he had caused her, or perhaps because he had released her from it, but Ahadi was less pleased. Unlike his older brother, Taka was weakly built, unfit to be king in his father's eyes, and he praised the ancestors for having the wisdom to have Mufasa be born first. Notwithstanding, Rafiki assured the king that Taka would have an important role to play in the circle of life, and Ahadi had no reason to doubt the wise baboon's words, he just did not see it yet. Uchawi's predictions however reaffirmed that even Ahadi's weakest son would influence the history of the pridelands for generations to come, something he started to believe when he saw his sons grow up: while Mufasa was by no means stupid, Taka was truly brilliant. This came at a cost though, not only was Taka overly critical of every tradition they had as well as the circle of life itself, which he had mockingly dubbed the circle of lion, he was also way more direct than his brother and tended to distress the pridelanders with his blunt honesty rather than give them hope. While he was definitely not without empathy, Mufasa was the one who could truly show it and make the animals feel at ease even in heavy duress. And heavy duress is what they were in, the dry season in which they were born had been longer than usual and the rainy season had completely failed. The dry season had barely started again and water levels were already comparable to levels at the end of a normal dry season. The twins first year of life had not even finished yet, or they were put to test to the extreme. One could argue that Mohatu's drought had been worse, but that drought was spread over five years, this drought has reached the levels of year three of Mohatu's drought in just one year. It was so bad that Uru decided to look for other sources of water before the pridelands would be left without.

"I won't let you do it, my love." Ahadi was not too fond of the idea. "I know we will need the water, but scores of hyenas roam across our borders, and I will not lose you like I lost my mother. I just cannot let you go there!"

"We have no choice, my dear," Uru replied, "I'll stay upwind to warn the hyenas of my presence. They wouldn't dare attack the queen unless they see no other choice."

Ahadi was nowhere near as optimistic about hyena behaviour, they had killed his mother after all, but the needs of the pridelanders had to be considered. It would be unworthy of a king to put his own needs first, but this was too much to ask for, to great a personal risk. He couldn't, he wouldn't…

"I'll go with her, father", a young voice interrupted. He sounded exactly like his mother, probably because he spent so much time with her, though the black mane that started to grow clearly identified him as his son. "While they might attack one lion, they won't attack two, and even if they did, I'm strong enough to fight them off!"

It was no secret that Ahadi preferred Mufasa, but seeing the resolve in his youngest son's green eyes, he could not help but feel genuine admiration for him for the first time. "Very well", the king yielded, "Taka, I trust your mother's life and with hers the lives of all our subjects upon you. Find us water, and bring us life my son." Uchawi had been right, he would influence the history of the pridelands.

Uru and Taka had been walking east for hours when they finally reached the hills that comprised the border area. Taka's paws had started to blister, and he wished they would find a water source already, but he knew the importance of this task and the chance it would give him to be a hero in the pridelands. "You know", he said, "I think Zuzu would find water a lot faster."

"I'm sure she would honey", his mom replied, "but she's nesting, and birds take nesting very seriously"

"Even more seriously than the morning report?"

"Even more seriously than the morning report. It's the circle of life." Taka scoffed at his mother's mention of the circle of life. "You still don't believe in the circle of life?"

"Obviously I believe in the part of birth and death, and hunting to eat. But to me it seems to be an excuse lions use to stay in power. It's a joke really."

"Do elaborate"

"Take the hyenas, don't they have the right to be part of the circle of life?"

"Who says they aren't?"

"They definitely aren't in the pridelands, dad drove them out. I know they killed his mother, but I'm sure not all hyenas were responsible for that"

"Well, there is also the fact that they hunt the same prey. Take the striped hyenas in the woodlands, your father didn't chase them away because they are mainly scavengers, but spotted hyenas hunt the same game we do. If we'd live together, one of us won't have enough food."

"And what gives us the right to hunt, and not them? We say we take care of all life in the pridelands, but in the end we are just looking after ourselves. We're just enforcing the circle of lion because we are stronger."

Uru chuckled. She knew her son was right. "You'd be a great ruler," she said, "just don't stop caring."

"But I won't be", Taka replied, "that role is reserved for a whipper snapper who follows the traditions."

"Taka!", Uru reprimanded him, "first off your brother is not a whipper snapper. Secondly there are different kinds of rulers. You obviously have the empathy and care to rule a kingdom, but the animals need a symbol of hope and that is the one big quality that would make your brother a king: he has the natural ability to inspire hope, which is what makes the people look up to him. You on the other hand knows what needs to be done, and have the creativity to find a way to do it. That part is equally essential, but it doesn't come with the glamour of being king. Basically you'd be acting behind the scenes without recognition from most animals, but that doesn't make it less important."

"You seem to get plenty of recognition"

"That's because I have been lucky enough to be queen of almost half our pride and consort to the other half. As crown princess, I was in the spotlights since the moment I was born, and as queen I remained there. It can be nice, but it definitely has its downsides. You'll be better off working behind the scenes and making a real difference."

"You really think I could make a difference?"

"If you can work together with Mufasa, you two can do anything", Uru winked, "And by the way, aren't you making a difference already?"

"I will when we find water." Uru smiled, she knew the bright future that was in her sons potential, and perhaps after this trip, so would Ahadi.

As the area became hillier and hillier, Uru let out a roar. "It's best to warn them we are here", she said, "animals can be very unpredictable when surprised."

"Won't this draw them to us?"

"Perhaps, or they might flee. But they won't attack two lions, even subadults. We might have to negotiate though, even if your father wouldn't like it… Oh no!" Uru suddenly stopped as she saw fresh tracks. "Taka, hide!"

"But mom, I am here to protect you."

"These aren't hyenas, honey, just make sure they don't find you." Uru kept staring at the lion tracks in front of her. This wasn't good. Rogues hadn't come this close to the pridelands, since the dogs settled on the other side of the Woodlands, and now they were here. Two by the looks of it, and Uru's plan to make sure the hyenas knew they were coming, now looked like the absolute worst thing they could have done. She just stood there frozen, not knowing what to do, until she felt another lion come closer.

"What is it, mother?", he asked. It startled her, and Taka recognised the danger immediately.

"I told you to hide", she hissed in despair, "if they see you they'll kill you, especially since you're male"

"But what about you? Won't they …"

"Rape me?", she finished the sentence, "I'll be fine as long as you're safe. Now hide!"

Taka didn't want to leave his mother alone, but obeyed her nonetheless. He made sure he could see her though, as he had to make sure she was okay. His father had trusted him with her safety, and for this one time Ahadi had faith in him, he was not about to prove him wrong.

"Don't you know bad things happen to those who wander out of their territory on their own?" The voice sounded menacing, but still fairly young.

"And aren't you bit young to be wandering off alone?" It was the voice of his mother, strong and full of confidence. She was right though, the mane of these lions had barely begun to develop, it would surprise Taka if they had already been two years old.

"Cute, but we can take care of ourselves", another voice emerged. Taka could barely see the scene through the bushes, but he realised they were closing in on her. They were about her size, but strongly built, surprising for two lone lions at such a young age.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll take your distance!" His mother again. She must have been nervous, but she sure didn't show it.

"You know," said the first voice, "we don't like being told what to do" And he pushed Uru into his companion. Taka wished he could see their faces, but the bush kept blurring his vision. He didn't like how these young lions physically harassed his mother though, and it appeared to be escalating fast.

"I think we'd better teach you a lesson", said the other voice as he headbutted Uru onto the ground, for his companion to pin her down. Taka couldn't take it anymore, and as fast as he could he lunged towards the lion pinning down his mother, only to be intercepted midair and smashed into a tree by his companion with the same headbutt he had used to floor his mother. The young prince was knocked out cold, and Uru could only watch in horror as his attacker approached him menacingly.

"No wait, you fool", the one pinning down Uru stopped his companion, "he's supposed to survive!"

While Uru found some comfort in these words, she was completely at odds on what it would mean. This wasn't the way rogue lions behaved at all. "What are you going to do to him?", she asked her former confidence nowhere to be found.

"You know, your majesty", the other lion said as he walked towards her, "you should be more worried about what we're going to do to YOU." Uru roared out in pain, as he put his teeth in her belly.

"Now remember", said the other lion as he loosened his grip on the queen, "it has to look like the hyenas did it!" Both lions chuckled at the idea.

"Let's have some fun!"

When Taka opened his eyes, he was sure the sight would be burnt in the back of his head for the rest of his life. The two rogues had already vanished, but his mother lay right in front of him, heavily panting, her abdomen torn open. No matter how gruesome she looked, he immediately leapt towards her. "Mom!" Uru just kept panting, while Taka desperately tried to move her. The pain she suffered must have been terrible. "I'll bring you to Rafiki, mom, he'll know... what to do." His vision was blurred with the unstoppable tears and he couldn't stop sobbing.

"No… use", she uttered, "Taka… make… difference… my lo…" The panting stopped and while lying at his mother's side, Taka felt truly alone in the world.


End file.
